Chapter 011: The Screwdriver Shows Its Might

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Li Haibo observed the layout of the hardware store without a hint of emotion. The store was small, a single-story building with just over forty square meters of floor space and a narrow staircase leading directly up to the attic.

Li Haibo focused slightly and activated his “Eavesdropper” ability.

In an instant, every tiny sound within the store became crystal clear in his ears. He even keenly detected the faint heartbeat coming from the attic. “This useless ‘Eavesdropper’ ability isn’t so bad after all!” Li Haibo silently rejoiced.

After paying, Li Haibo casually walked out of the hardware store carrying a hammer.

The owner exhaled in relief, thinking he was just here to mooch.

On his way home, he retrieved a package from a tree hollow.

Back at home, Li Haibo opened the package with a trace of anticipation. Inside lay a slightly worn Ma brand revolver and fourteen rounds of ammunition.

He skillfully loaded the bullets into the magazine, then pulled back the cylinder to chamber a round, finally storing the gun away in his infinite space.

...

In the silent depths of night, with all sounds hushed, Li Haibo, dressed in black and wearing a mask, quietly approached the hardware store just over two hundred meters from his home.

He stood still, concentrated, and activated his “Eavesdropper” ability.

Moments later, the sounds inside the store were vividly clear—only the rhythmic heartbeat and breathing of a single person in the attic could be heard. Judging by the relaxed breathing and faint snoring, the person was sound asleep.

In the darkness, the area covered by “Eavesdropper” appeared in his mind like a radar map.

“Wow, am I Batman now?” Li Haibo thought excitedly as he looked at the rippling map in his mind, experiencing the “Eavesdropper” ability at night for the first time.

Wasting no time, he slowly moved to the entrance of the store.

The hardware store’s door was an old-fashioned wooden plank door, typical for this era.

Such doors were made of long, movable wooden slats, each numbered.

The doorframe had grooves at the top and bottom, allowing each plank to be removed or closed in sequence.

Except for the last plank, which was secured with a lock or bolt, all other planks were simply held in place by the grooves.

That made things easier. Li Haibo extended his right hand and gently pressed on the door plank.

In an instant, several planks disappeared into space with a swift “whoosh.”

Following the map in his mind, he stepped inside, passing by a shelf where he casually grabbed a screwdriver. Then, carefully, he climbed the stairs to the attic.

The old wooden stairs creaked loudly under his feet, the sound piercing the quiet night.

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Suddenly, the steady breathing abruptly stopped. Immediately, a figure sprang upright like a spring, voice trembling with fear and alertness: “Who’s there!?”

At the same time, Li Haibo heard the target’s heartbeat race. Without hesitation, he raised his hand, and the screwdriver shot out like an arrow from a bow, flying swiftly and accurately straight into the target’s heart.

“Ugh—” The heartbeat ceased instantly. The target collapsed rigidly, twitching uncontrollably.

Li Haibo paused slightly, muttering softly, “Hmm! This screwdriver’s pretty effective!”

Without delay, he turned and descended the stairs, gathering the remaining hundred or so screwdrivers into his infinite space without a second thought.

Feeling still unsatisfied, after a moment’s thought, he decisively swept up all the tools and materials inside the hardware store.

Unfortunately, there was no cash in the register—probably because the owner, fearing his son would steal money, took it all home after closing. Truly, a parent guards against a child as one guards against a thief!

Finally, Li Haibo strode away in contentment, not even bothering to replace the door planks he had taken. The hardware store’s entrance remained wide open in the dark night.

At dawn, soft winter sunlight spilled over the breakfast stall at the alley’s entrance. “Uncle Ma! One order of wontons!”

Li Haibo, as usual, walked out at a leisurely pace, ready to enjoy his breakfast.

At that moment, a stout, heavyset man wheezed loudly as he plopped down at the seat opposite, shouting, “Boss! One order of wontons!”

Li Haibo glanced up and said, “You sure get around with the news.”

The man grinned, “Not sure, just heard the hardware store’s door was wide open early this morning. Even the military police were stirred up. So I came to ask if you succeeded?”

“Yeah.”

“No shooting?”

“No shooting. Used a screwdriver to kill!” Li Haibo replied, chewing his food.

“A screwdriver? You can kill with a screwdriver? Alright, from now on your code name’s ‘Screwdriver’!” Captain Liu said without hesitation.

“Code name? Aren’t code names supposed to be fierce and powerful like ‘Flying Dragon,’ ‘Shadow,’ or ‘Mad Blade’? ‘Screwdriver’? That’s just lazy!” Li Haibo frowned, clearly reluctant.

“You’re overthinking it. For operatives like us, the lower the profile, the better.”

Li Haibo was silent for a moment, then nodded, before asking, “What about my expenses?”

Captain Liu calmly pulled out a money pouch and slapped it on the table.

Li Haibo picked it up and weighed it lightly, his expression darkening. “Hmm… doesn’t feel right.”

“This is thirty bucks!” Captain Liu answered steadily.

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“You’re kidding me! This is my hard-earned pay, and you’re skimming off even this?”

“Come on! I said the mission budget is fifty bucks, but I can’t give you all of it. There are plenty of staff behind you quietly contributing; they deserve a share too,” Captain Liu tried to explain.

“Next time, just tell me exactly how much I’ll get.” With that, Li Haibo angrily grabbed the pouch and turned to leave.

After a few steps, he turned back. “Stand up!”

“I…I… I won’t!” Captain Liu’s eyes darted in panic.

Li Haibo raised his foot and kicked the captain’s bulky belly.

“Ugh…!” Captain Liu fell to his knees, retching violently.

“People like you get shot in the back on the battlefield!” Li Haibo tapped the shining bald head with his baton.

...

Inside the Zhabei Police Substation, the atmosphere was lively. Today was the monthly routine shooting practice day, with all active officers scheduled to attend the range in batches over the next few days for live-fire training.

Though each was allocated only ten rounds, this was still a rare hands-on opportunity for most officers. Those wanting to fire more would have to pay out of pocket.

Hou Yong and two others were especially excited, their eyes shining with curiosity and anticipation. Since joining, they had never handled real firearms, so finally touching the genuine article made their hearts race.

Yang Chun in particular kept rubbing his hands as if already picturing himself looking heroic at the range.

In stark contrast stood Li Haibo. Please, everyone knows I was a soldier for six years—I’m a sharpshooter.

Seeing their eager yet somewhat confused faces, Li Haibo volunteered to coach them.

Clearing his throat, he said seriously, “Don’t panic. Listen to the key points first. How you hold the gun is crucial—you need a steady grip, no shaking arms, like this.” He then skillfully demonstrated the proper way to hold a firearm.

Old-style movable plank door of the store (image sourced online)

One shot, two horses, three flower mouths

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